Reaching Through the Veil to Heal: Death, Grief and Communicating with Loved Ones in Spirit
by Linda Drake
It was the first full week of September when my friend, Marione, passed away — and through a meaningful coincidence, I received this book for review. One look at the title,Reaching Through the Veil to Heal, was that was all I needed to drop my previous plans and immerse myself in some serious reading. It turned out to be very comforting for me.
The author, Linda Drake, is an intuitive path healer who works with “Spirit” and “channels a collective consciousness that call themselves Abraham.” A Reiki healer, she found that she had the ability to speak to those in spirit. And she points out, “those in spirit form prefer being referred to as ‘in spirit’ as opposed to ‘dead,’ because we as a society hold so many misconceptions about death.” Throughout, Drake tells through her experiences — or that of stories her clients tell — what she has learned about those on the other side.
I was reassured about my recent loss through passages such as, “…I always receive the same message: they were not alone at their time of death. An angel or a family member was sent to assist them in their crossing, and a powerful loving energy was present, an energy so beautiful that they could not describe it.” Along with chapters on communicating with loved ones who have passed on and interpreting signs from the departed in spirit (such as lights flickering, or the television turning on and off), there are whole chapters dealing with grief and even “the plight of the caretaker: what about me?”
This warm and wonderful little book helped my grieving process immensely, and I imagine that is just what the “healing” in the title refers to. Reading this, I learned that the soul incarnates with a mission, and during the time on earth the soul is given many “exit points.” It is partially a matter of free will at what point the soul will feel their work is done and will return back into the realm of spirit. A sudden death — such as my friend’s, who passed only a few short months after a shocking cancer diagnosis — usually means the soul wants to spare the physical body of the suffering a long drawn-out illness, according to Drake.
A few weeks after reading this, I was ironing one morning just as I do on many days, only this morning was a little different. I suddenly heard my husband say “Hey, who just turned off the TV?” Well, it wasn’t me and it wasn’t the cats. I smiled, thinking of Marione, and said ‘hello’ back.
Reaching Through the Veil to Heal:
Death, Grief & Communicating with Loved Ones in Spirit
by Linda Drake
Llewellyn Publications, 2006
157 pp., $12.95
Review by Diane Saarinen